People wearing face masks to protect against the spread of the coronavirus walk on a street in Tokyo Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) Photo: AP/File
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Japan to lower COVID-19 to flu status in spring

35 Comments
By MARI YAMAGUCHI

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35 Comments

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Downgrading classification will also lead to a decrease in new cases here in Japan because reporting requirements will be relaxed also and testing won't be free anymore

14 ( +22 / -8 )

As of late last year it was very hard to get tested in Japan

I'm in Japan, that is simply not true lol

12 ( +18 / -6 )

No more masks. Can't wait!

11 ( +27 / -16 )

Hooray! Time to celebrate - hanami maybe?

10 ( +24 / -14 )

No more masks. Can't wait!

You think everyone will magically remove their masks indoors? They still wear them outside despite no requirement.

10 ( +19 / -9 )

About time. I came to this realization years ago.

9 ( +32 / -23 )

Not sure it will make a lot of difference, to be honest. I think that workplaces and businesses will continue to ask people to wear masks and stay at home if they have cold symptoms etc. It will carry on like that well beyond the status change in spring in my opinion. Just like there was no change to masking outdoors when the government said it was no longer necessary, I don't think we'll see much change in the spring.

8 ( +15 / -7 )

Great News, now lets get back to normal and have a LIFE.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

No more masks. Can't wait!

Just take them off now mate. No need to wait. Now or in Spring, what's the difference? Today was a lovely crisp day actually. The crisp winter air is sublime.

5 ( +18 / -13 )

Why wait?

People who actually want to wear masks can, people who want to get the jab can get it at their own expense, so why inconvenience everyone else for no good reason?

3 ( +19 / -16 )

Why would any hospital have to turn her away, if everyone involved (her, the ambulance crew, the doctors & nurses, other patients) are all wearing the (ahem) very effective Almighty Masks.

You're still struggling with that question? You've been thinking about that for a long while now.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

What am I going to do with my stock of thousands of masks?

Save them for Pandemic 2.0. It's coming soon.

2 ( +18 / -16 )

Good, cautious move, much better than the Chinese jerk who did an about-face with no preparations while opening its borders for travelers to bring the 9th surge to rest of the world. Notwithstanding imperfections and even failures, Japan is a civilized country.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

The move, however, comes as Japan faces widespread infections and record levels of deaths in what is considered its eighth wave of outbreak since the pandemic began three years ago.

Right, the best way to tackle a major problem, is to reclassify it as a non-problem. (This could solve the problem or crimes as well, lower the status of murder to equal jaywalking, and crimes are gone! Moderator: this is an analogy, so please do not censor this as out-of-topic.)

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Well. For those sick of everyone wearing masks, even if the "requirements" get dropped, kafuncho's just around the corner. Just saying.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Vaccines? Maybe

Masks? Maybe

etc etc…

why do we all fight over all these?

Common sense? Absolutely.

i am still not vaxxed. I have been using masks when I think it is necessary and this had been the case before this pandemic, ie when I was allergic to the environment or when I was sneezing or coughing (which rarely happened. Keep your hands reasonably clean and keep a healthy balanced lifestyle … all these help. I won’t get any vax until am comfortable with it. I was vaxxed for the seasonal flu though. Once every year around mid Nov.

0 ( +10 / -10 )

After all that nonsense preventing foreigners from entering Japan....what a waste of absolute time and energy.

Rubbish Japan.

But I applaud this move, nonetheless. As Fighto says though, mask use won't change at all.

-1 ( +18 / -19 )

Way too late. Obviously.

Remove them from kids asap.

Far more unmasked inside that outside. Ridiculously.

-1 ( +10 / -11 )

I have not worn mask working in the office. Not while I am out and about like jogging or to and from station. I do wear masks when in public transportation and at concerts etc..We have entertained guests at home too… Our guests are vaxxed and got COVID at least once. We are not.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

After all the repression around the world related to deadly covid for the last two years, from now on it will be less dangerous than the flu?

Who's kidding who here?

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

After all the repression around the world related to deadly covid for the last two years, from now on it will be less dangerous than the flu?

Who's kidding who here?

The one who told you that is probably kidding you. Who told you it will be less dangerous?

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

No masks indoors? Here’s how it’ll go.

If not closer than 1 meter distance with ventilation. No vents 2 meters and so on. It won’t be you can just take’em off.

I’ll eat my English textbooks if the mask wearing gets dropped!!

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

I have it from a hospital professional that a recent patient with Covid was turned away from

as many as 18 hospitals-the health system in Japan is broken…

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

Japan is still getting over 100,000 every day despite the restrictions

There are no restrictions. It's all "urges" . There is no obligation to follow any of the "urges" either. Just do what you want to do.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

All right. It's "just the flu" now, as many in this comment section have been arguing. You win, guys.

But don't people die of the flu as well? Wasn't that the point of Covid deniers from the beginning? Flu deaths really looked dramatic in the first stages of the pandemic to you. Why the sudden change in tone? Isn't it still responsible to not spread a disease like the flu and take precautions to protect yourself and others?

Oh, and it's not "just the flu". The cough is something completely different, it stays in your system way longer and can cause other health issues. This information has been out there for almost three years now and looking up any statistic (outside of Facebook, Twitter or even less moderated platforms) will show you the numbers, i.e., infections and deaths worldwide, are completely different.

But given how the comment section has decided virusrex is a part of a conspiracy and take each others confirmation as "evidence", I guess anything's up for debate now. It would be a little bit less depressing if I hadn't recently been seeing this tendency so much irl as well.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

More than a year begins the rest of the world. Covid is here to stay. Japan is still getting over 100,000 every day despite the restrictions. Other countries homage proven that lifting the restrictions does not necessarily increase new cases.

-5 ( +16 / -21 )

Great news !!! Common sense prevails !!

-9 ( +12 / -21 )

Downgrading classification will also lead to a decrease in new cases here in Japan because reporting requirements will be relaxed also and testing won't be free anymore

As of late last year it was very hard to get tested in Japan. The numbers as far as infections is way higher than those reported. Though if one was seriously ill, as in having trouble breathing, the treatment is probably first class.

-10 ( +6 / -16 )

Domestic Covid19 deaths per infection "wave" at Japan continue to be increased, present 8th wave is worst ever.

But Government doesn't anything to prevent deaths at all, repeat shameful but dangerous situation that virus test or medical services fall into insufficient soon in Japan.

Handful power person can get PCR test or medical services or hospitalization soon in Japan.

Present LDP Kishida regime of Japan who spends huge taxes for national security but dislike to use money for social security looks like even exploit Covid19 to reduce social weaks such as elderly people or disabled people.

-10 ( +9 / -19 )

Excellent news.

Vaccines and masks have proven to have been very effective, and no heavy-hand restrictions were necessary.

Well done Japan for the long-term plan from the beginning.

-21 ( +17 / -38 )

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